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‘No change in rules’ for pre-Brexit Brits applying for Swedish citizenship

Brits living in Sweden at the time the UK left the European Union were eligible to apply for post-Brexit residence status to retain their right to live in Sweden. But what requirements do pre-Brexit Brits need to meet to convert this to citizenship?

Published: 22 November 2022 13:23 CET

'No change in rules' for pre-Brexit Brits applying for Swedish citizenship

A Union flag waves behind a European Union flag, outside the Houses of Parliament, in London, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. Photo/Alberto Pezzali/AP

Several of the readers who responded to our survey on the difficulties they had been suffering as a result of Brexit complained of the lack of clarity over what criteria they would have to meet over their five years living with a post-Brexit residence status in order to qualify for permanent residency or citizenship.

Not sure what the difference is between residence status, residence cards, right of residence and residence permits? See The Local’s guide to the different types of residency in Sweden here.

Permanent residency

When The Local asked the Migration Agency about this, they wrote that “in order to gain permanent right of residence (permanent uppehållsrätt), [Brits living in Sweden with post-Brexit residence status] need to have been living in Sweden legally for five consecutive years.”

“Right of residence both before and after Brexit can be counted towards this, so both residence that the person held as an EU citizen [uppehållsrätt], and time with [post-Brexit] residence status,” the agency wrote.

“It also doesn’t matter which grounds the person had for residency under EU rules or if the applicant had several different grounds for residency [residency as a student and then a worker, for example]. What matters is that the requirements for residency have been met at all times.”

This means that the rules for permanent residency are much the same as they are for EU citizens under the EU’s freedom of movement legislation. See the EU rules here.

For example, if a pre-Brexit Brit (or other EU citizen) living in Sweden loses their job in Sweden after being employed for less than 12 months, they can only keep their “worker” category for six months, and then only if they immediately register their unemployment with the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen).

If they either forget to register as unemployed, fail to get a job, or fail to register under another category such as under student or self-sufficiency rules, their stay in Sweden will then not count as “legal” for the purposes of citizenship or residency.

Note that for the purposes of permanent residency, post-Brexit residence status is seen as equal to EU right of residence. This means, for example, that Brits with post-Brexit residence status do not need to apply for a permanent residence permit (permanent uppehållstillstånd or PUT), but they gain permanent residence status after a period of five years, as long as they have met the EU requirements for residence for that entire period.

Under EU rules, you do not need to apply for permanent right of residency, it is a right you gain automatically after staying in Sweden legally for at least five years. You can, however, apply for a certificate documenting your right of residency, referred to as a certificate or intyg of permanent right of residence.

As far as The Local understands, the same applies for those living in Sweden on post-Brexit residency, although it is not clear how Brits with residence status can apply for permanent residence status after living in Sweden long enough.

It is also important to note that the only truly permanent residence document, which cannot be revoked (all others can be revoked after a period of living outside of Sweden), is Swedish citizenship.

Are there any changes in citizenship rules for pre-Brexit Brits?

The short answer is ‘no’.

The Migration Agency told The Local that “there are no changes in the possibility of gaining citizenship when compared with the rules prior to Brexit.”

Brits with post-Brexit residence status are not required to hold a permanent residence permit (PUT) in order to apply for Swedish citizenship, with post-Brexit residence status seen as equal to EU right of residence for the purpose of citizenship applications.

For example, an EU citizen or Brit with post-Brexit residence status is eligible for citizenship after living in Sweden for just three years if they live with a Swedish citizen and have done so for the past two years or more, whereas non-EU citizens (and post-Brexit Brits) must hold a PUT in order to apply for citizenship, meaning they can usually apply after four years, at the earliest, even if they also live with a Swedish citizen.

You can see the requirements for citizenship here.

Member comments

Anonymous - 2 December 2022 at 22:04 CET

Hi,

What if you became a Swedish citizen but your but your children and wife still have residence status , would they lose the residence status and need to apply for permits as family members to a Swedish citizen ?

Become a Member to leave a comment.

How to grow your own fruits and vegetables in Sweden

Know your growing zone

Sweden is split into eight different growing zones, known as växtzoner in Swedish, with one being the mildest zone in the far south of the country and eight being the harshest, in the far north.

The easiest way to figure out which zone you live in is to search your address on a digital growing zone chart like this one from the Swedish Garden Association.

There are two “bonus” zones too, which you’re unlikely to see on plant labels: zone zero, which refers to extra mild conditions in zone one, like a sheltered south-facing garden or the climate inside an unheated greenhouse, and the fjällzon or zone nine, which is found in mountain regions.

Lots of fruit trees can handle snow, for example, but not all of them will survive the winters in harsher, colder zones.

“Apple trees or fruit trees will survive snow,” British gardener and cider maker John Taylor, known for presenting Swedish gardening show Trädgårdstider (Garden Times), told The Local.

“You can grow all kinds of apples, pears, plums, cherries, we can grow edible quince in southern Sweden, so there’s a bunch of fruit trees which will survive, but it depends what rootstock they’re on – that’s called grundstam in Swedish,” he explained.

“There’s one rootstock called B9 that survives down to minus 40, because it’s from Russia, then there’s another called M106, and that probably doesn’t want to live in the depths of Norrland.”

Buy plants local to you

An easy way to make sure the plant you’re planning on buying is going to survive in your zone is by sourcing it from a local plant nursery or garden centre, as they won’t sell plants that can’t handle the local climate.

“There’s a nursery in the north of Sweden and Finland called Blomkvists, they sell lots of fruit varieties which will survive up there,” Taylor said. “You can grow pretty much anything you want up there, just as we can [in Skåne, southern Sweden], but it will be different varieties that taste different and will survive the frost.”

You won’t be able to grow Mediterranean fruits like lemons or oranges in Sweden unless you bring them inside during the winter, although you should be able to grow peaches or nectarines in most of the country.

“The further up in the country you go, the further north you are or the further away from the coast, the harsher the climate becomes, so you might need to have them on a south-facing wall or in a greenhouse,” Taylor said.

Think outside the box

Although the growing season in Sweden may be shorter than it is further south, there are still a number of crops from warmer climates that do surprisingly well.

“People don’t really grow cucumbers outside here, I don’t think they realise that you can actually grow them outside,” Taylor said. “Tomatoes, too. You don’t need a greenhouse, you just stick them in the ground, they’re basically a weed – you’ll get so many you won’t know what to do with them.”

Sweetcorn, for example, performs well in a Swedish climate, Taylor said, although Swedes more often grow it as a feed crop for pigs.

You can also test things by trying to build a microclimate so you can grow things that are one or even two growing zones away from yours. Usually this is done by providing shelter from the wind and the weather using fences, hedges or by planting near buildings, as well as providing protection during the winter.

And if you’re pushed for space, look into companion planting, where you can grow multiple plants which complement each other in the same space.

One example of this is the “three sisters”: corn, climbing beans (or peas), and squash. The corn provides a support for the beans or peas, which anchor the corn in high winds while fixing nitrogen in the soil, while the squash’s large leaves provide shade for the soil, preventing it from drying out.

Don’t be put off just because you don’t have any outside space

Thinking outside the box applies to balconies too.

“If you’re in a built-up area, you will get reflected light from other buildings, so even if you’re on an east-facing balcony, you should be able to grow a lot of stuff. North is a bit more tricky, but east and west are probably better than south as you’re not getting hammered by the sun all day,” Taylor said.

You should be able to grow things like tomatoes, cucumbers and flowers, but it’s important to get hold of good soil and replenish it each year, so your plants have enough nutrients.

“Anybody with a balcony can grow pretty much the same that you can in a garden, you just have to get the soil up there and you always have to fertilise, the soil becomes nutrient deficient after one season.”

“But if you’re prepared to get the soil up on your balcony you can grow anything, even fruit trees. They will be smaller and stunted, and won’t give as much fruit – I’ve done it myself – so don’t see it as an obstacle, see it as a possibility.”

Kale and tomatoes growing on a balcony. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

Take inspiration from Swedish growers

Thinking outside the box doesn’t mean that you should completely ignore what all your Swedish neighbours are doing. If you’re not sure what to plant in your garden or what fruit and veg you should try to grow, take a look at what other people who live near you are growing.

You might also come across some crops you’ve never tried before which work well in a Swedish climate, like Alpine strawberries (smultron), honeyberries (blåbärstry), wild garlic (ramslök) or sea buckthorn (havtorn).

This doesn’t just apply to varieties, but also where you plant them in your garden. Some crops need full sun, some work best in shade, and others, like asparagus, can grow tall and cast a shadow over your garden.

“You want a south-facing location for all fruit, and berries – check out what your neighbours are doing,” Taylor said.

If you don’t want tall plants to cast a shadow over other crops, see if you can plant them at the northernmost edge of your garden, while making sure that sun and soil conditions are still optimal. Blueberries, for example, need acidic soil to thrive, meaning you will probably need to amend your soil if planting in the ground, or even plant them in containers.

Think about what you want to do with your harvest

This may seem obvious, but it’s important to plant what you like to eat, too. If you hate the aniseedy, licorice-y taste of fennel, why bother growing it?

You should also choose the variety of crop based on what you’re going to use it for. Do you want to make pickles with your cucumbers, or are you going to eat them on salads? Do you want cherry tomatoes for snacking on, or big beef tomatoes for making sauces?

“Think ‘what am I going to do with my harvest’,” Taylor said. “Am I going to juice it? Am I going to preserve it? Am I going to make cider with it, for example?”

Apples, for example, can range from sweet eating apples to tart cooking apples, so make sure you do your research before you commit to buying an apple tree. Most varieties exist in English-speaking countries, so you should be able to search the name of the variety online and find some information in a language you understand, if you don’t speak Swedish.

“Patience is a virtue,” he added. “A lot of fruit trees are going to take two or three years, or even more, to give a harvest. So you have to have patience.”

Learn to deal with the Swedish weather

Many areas of Sweden along the coast or in the south of the country can get windy, which you’ll have to learn to deal with.

“How to deal with the wind? You can’t,” Taylor said. “We cannot affect this, we are powerless.”

“What you have to do is plant them in areas where there’s less wind, usually behind large buildings.”

Some plants simply won’t survive the wind, so either you plant them close to buildings, protect them, or accept that you’re restricted in what you can grow.

Make sure to provide supports for crops which will grow tall, like sunflowers, peas, beans and sweetcorn, and tie these down well or bury them deep in the ground, so summer storms can’t blow them away.

Listen to the full interview with John Taylor in The Local’s Sweden in Focus Extra podcast for Membership+ subscribers. Out on Wednesday, May 8th.

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